Wheel



(No Modem P.. P. TERRY.

WHEEL.

Patented Oct. 19,1897.

NrTn STATES PATENT union.

FRANCIS P. TERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WHEEL.

sPEoIFIcAtrIcN forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,027, dated october 19, 1897. Application filed February 10, 1893. Renewed J'uly 27,1895. SGT2L1N0 5571387- (NO 111051510 cago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, 'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in -Wheelsg and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othe rs skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of Vthis specication.

My invention relates to that class of wheels which are known as f su spensionwheels, the spokes being under tension, so that the load is supportedV from above instead of bearing downwardly upon the lower spokes, as in the case of an ordinary wooden Wheel.

The object ofthe invention is to secure a light, firm, and elastic wheel which shall be both extremely simple and very strong; and it consists in the various parts and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter specied.-

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of my improved wheel. Fig.` 2 is atransv'erse section onl the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Y Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3'of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transversesectio'n on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig.

. 5 is a detail showing one form of securing the spoke to the hub.

The wheelconsists of `the hub, comprising a body portion A, of wood,which is of uniform external diameter, a journal-boxB, of ordinary construction, and an outer metallic shellV C; the spokes D D, set in the hub in two series, the spokes of one series alternating with those of the other; and of the felly I-I, Within which the ends of the spokes are secured in the manner hereinafter described.

I show at M the axle-skein; at N, the nut for holding the wheel in place;v at J, a sandband; and at K, the ordinary outwardly-projecting flange for protecting the skein.

The length of the metallic shell C of the hub is as great as that of the wooden body portion The diameter of its vends c' c2 is such that they fit tightly upon the body A, and its intermediate portion is arched, so as `toleave a space or chamber about the wooden part. Annular inwardly-projecting ilanges or ribs c c extend from this shell, so as to bear against the part A, and are each located approximately one-third ofthe length of the hub from b one of its'ends. The flanges o are provided with inwardly-projecting bosses c3, of any desired number, and the outer surface of the part A is longitudinally grooved, "as shown at a', to receive these bosses,'thus -lockingthe two parts of the hub together.

The shell C is-socketed to receive the inner ends or bases of the spokes, the flanges c c being so located that the sockets enter them. The sockets and the spoke ends are correspondingly screw-threaded. The most se- -vere lateral strain upon the spoke is at its juncture with the hub. Inasmuch as the cutting of a screwthread upon the spoke tends to weaken it, l cut the thread only in the inner portion of the socket, as shown at d', and for a corresponding distance upon the end of the spoke, so that a considerable portion of the spoke within the socket is not screwthreaded, and the parts are so adjusted that this smooth portion of the spoke lits tightly`v within the socket. Inrorder to secure a tight iit in this respect, I prefer to form the socket and spoke end upon a taper, as indicated at d, so that as the spoke is screwed into place it is drawn down snugly against the walls of the socket. This taper may extend to the `end and bottom of spoke and socket, as

`so that the turning ofthe collar to its 'seat .will draw it down irmly upon the enlarged end of the spoke. When this collar is used, the` tapering form of spoke end and. socket becomes unnecessary.

The outer end of the spoke is screw-threaded, and a draw-nut E is secured upon it. The lengthofrthe spoke is such thatit reaches approximately to the inner edge of the fell y IOO II, which is recessed, as shown at G, for the purpose of receiving the end of the draw-nut E. Theinner end of the draw-nut is provided with an annular flan ge c. A clip F covers the recess G, being secured to the wheel-rim by bolts h, passing through the felly and the tire I. This clip is apertured so that the body portion of the draw-nut E fits snugly within the aperture and an annular flangef extends outwardly from this aperture, so as to afford a considerable bearing-surface for the walls of the draw nut. The draw nut extends down upon the spoke beyond the iiange f, and this exposed portion e' is polysided, so that a wrench may be used for the purpose of securing the desired tension of the spoke by drawing the flange e against the clip. The recess G is of such depth that the draw-nut E does not extend to its bottom, so that any concussion upon the tire will not be communicated to the spoke, but the flexing of the fellywill cause the iange f to slide upon the surface of the draw-nut E. For the purpose of preventing an accumulation of mud in the recess G, I prefer to iill the space beyond the nut with a rubber cushion g.

The greatest strain upon the spokes being at their juncture with the hub, it is desirable to make them strongest at that point. This weakness has heretofore been provided against by the use of a spoke tapering from its inner to its outer end for the purpose of securin g a gradual exure through its length. It is found in practice that the most vulnerable portion of a spoke after the one heretofore mentioned is near the felly. In order to secure adequate strength both at the hub and near the felly, I prefer to make the spoke of uniform size from its outer end through a considerable portion, approximately one-half of its length, and then increase itssize by gradual taper from that point to the hub.

A wheel constructed as thus described has in its hub the benet of the elasticity of the wooden body A, with the strength and rigidity of a metallic hub as secured by the shell C, which is of a single piece. The shell being constructed as shown, has the strength of an arch, while the four points of contact with the wooden body-that is, at each end and at each of the ribs c-so greatly distribute the pressure that all danger of. injury to the wooden body is obviated. The method of securing the spokes to the hub as herein described insures a perfectly secure and permanent joint. The peculiar form of spoke described provides for a distribution of the strain without weakening the spoke at its most vulnerable points. The method of securing the spokes to the felly admits of the use of the form of attachment to the hub as described by providing means for securing the proper tension of the spoke. The wheel is peculiarly elastic from the fact that its rim is permitted to yield upon concussion, while lthe distortion ot` the rim from the circular form not only fails to communicate pressure to the spokes adjacent to the point of concussion, but increases the tension upon all of the other spokes. In use the concussion is at the point of contact with the ground and in the form ofwheel herein described that is the point at which there is the least strain upon the rim.

It is obvious that the spokes may be solid or hollow and either round or oval in crossseetion, as may be desired.

I claim as my inventionl. In a tension-wheel adapted to support its load by suspension, the combination with spokes screwed into the hub in two series upon opposite sides of the plane of the rim, of a hub having a wooden core, and a metallic shell in arch form in longitudinal section and having two annular internal ribs adapted to bear upon the core and to receive the spokesockets, substantially as described.

2. In a wheel the combination with a hub having a metallic shell with countersunk and screw threaded spoke sockets, ot metal spokes having their ends screw-threaded to iit the sockets and taperingaway from the screwthreaded portion, and collars having their outer surfaces screw-threaded at one end to engage the countersunk portion of the sockets and polysided at the other end to engage a wrench, and being apertured to iit tightly upon the enlarged end of the spoke, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with the rim provided with sockets in its inner side, and the spokes, of the draw-nuts secured upon the outer ends of said spokes and adjustable thereon into said sockets, the clips secured to the socketed portions of the rim and formed with tubular projections receiving the upper portions of said draw-nuts and movable thereon, and means in said sockets, consisting of yieldablc cushions interposed between the inner ends of the draw-nuts and the inner walls of the sockets, for preventing an accumulation of mud therein, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS P. TERRY.

Witnesses:

MAY H. L. WING, L. K. GILLsoN.

ICO 

